


Forever is our today

by hamine2



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, F/F, Hurt No Comfort, Kara doesn't really die because we all love her too much, Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe), Self-Sacrifice, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:54:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21774049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamine2/pseuds/hamine2
Summary: Kara has found a way to bring everyone back to life. Even if it's at the expense of her own.
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 59
Kudos: 977





	1. Sacrifices must be made

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from the song "Who Wants To Live Forever" by Queen. Also, if you want to cry even harder, listen to "Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow". I sure did when the video first came out. The animation is beautiful. BUT ANYWAY.  
> Enjoy this Supercorp angst! :)

They had won the final battle. The Anti-Monitor was no more. Against all odds, Oliver was alive, Barry wasn't missing, and even her cousin's counterpart from Earth-96 was back. And the cruel being behind all of their misery was gone. Dead.

Still, the sweet caress of victory brought Kara no joy. Her mother, her friends, her family... All of the people she held dear, had been resumed to cosmic dust.

She felt sick, and filled with a pain so deep, she didn't even know what held her together anymore. Still, for some strange reason, she hadn't lost all hope. Not yet.

Even when everything and everyone she'd ever loved had been stripped away from her, she couldn't dare to accept it was permanent. This wasn't how their story was supposed to end, and she still could save them, she knew it. Thankfully, the Monitor seemed to agree. _There still was a chance_. 

After Lex was killed, and the Book of Destiny was rewritten by the hands of each paragon, not only had they been able to end the war, she was now able to bring her world back to existence too.

But of course, she knew, certain sacrifices had to be made. The laws of the multiverse were still intact, after all. Energy must have equilibrium. Consequences demand actions. A life must end for another to survive.

So yes, the Book would bring her Earth back. _But_ she would have to _die_ , so other humans could _live._

Quite frankly, it was a sacrifice she was always fully willing to make. In her heart, she knew there was a reason why Rao had sent her away from his warmth, to let her thrive under a yellow sun. Why she had flown into the sky to stop her sister's plane from falling down. Why she had put on that suit and cape every morning for the past three years. Why destiny had named her Supergirl.

She was a _hero;_ she was born to sacrifice everything in the name of others.

In her youth, the blonde struggled to understand why she always seemed to lose what she held dearest. And she really couldn't get why, against all logic, she managed to overcome her pain in better ways than most people could.

Now as she looked back, she was able to perceive those small losses only as a preparation for what was to come. She was able to see that her hopeful and strong personality wasn't only a nice trait about herself, but an armour that Rao had built within her soul , so she could face her future with her head high.

And truly, before the storm struck, she was calm. She was resigned, and had accepted her fate. She knew, for the first time in her entire existence, what her true purpose in life was.

She had been one of the few survivors of Krypton's destruction. The one soul that lived, while millions died. But today, she was certain that the story would change.

She would perish, so _billions_ of innocents could be resurrected in her place. She would bring justice, love, and hope back to Earth. She would do what she never managed to do for Krypton. Save her planet.

"All of us have a part to play." She had heard the monitor say earlier.

He was right. She did had a part to play. She was the final piece of the puzzle.

Even with Kate screaming at her from afar, telling her to drop the book and leave, even with Clark threatening to punch her down if she didn't, damn, even with Sara giving her murderous glances along with the other superheroes, she smiled, and didn't back down.

She had understood the meaning of her life.

And she was content with it in the end.

\---

When Lena opened her eyes, she was surprised to see that apparently, she still could.

Then, she realized she wasn't engulfed in flames, surrounded by horned demons and villainous looking creatures. She couldn't see no holy angels playing harps anywhere either. Only a mass of equally astounded people, covered in bloody wounds and dirty clothes.

Quickly, she checked her pulse. Feeling the frantic beating of her heart, she confirmed her theory. They weren't dead. Even if she knew for sure she had died.

She saw the red wave of anti-matter wipe the spaceship clean, she heard the terrified screams of civilians around her as she disappeared into oblivion.

So, having that fact clear in head, and understanding it completely... How was she back? How was everyone else back?

As she pondered the How's and Why's of her survival, the crowd cheered and cried in relief. They were fine. They had been granted another chance.

Still, the Luthor couldn't join them in their celebration. Her brain still was foggy, and reality too farfetched to be true.

"LENA!" Alex appeared beside her, and throwing caution to the wind, squished her in a bone-crushing hug, Kelly following her shortly after.

The CEO barely responded to the gesture, her thoughts were still too complicated for her to properly handle the situation. She had seen the Director vanish. She had seen her die. What the everlasting hell was she doing there then?

"Where are we?" She finally asked, brows furrowed.

"What do we mean, where are we? We are at the legion's ship, remember? You helped us evacuate the city?" The red head pulled back, teary eyed.

"Yes, but... We aren't dead? So... Where are we?"

Before the older Danvers could answer, they felt the ship tremble. Some people fell down, others screamed in terror, begging that disastrous day to be over already.

Then, the lights went off, and panic settled in. For a while, all Lena could feel was Alex's strong grip in her arm, and the tension on the air around her.

What no one anticipated, however, were for the doors to open and for the light to shine in, revealing the beautiful, impeccable landscape of National City.

They hadn't noticed before, but the tremble was actually the ship landing. On the ground. On their city. On the universe they never thought they would see again.

The planet wasn't gone. The earth wasn't gone. Their home was still theirs.

At this, even the CEO couldn't help but cry.

"They did it." Kelly whispered, voice wavering. "Kara and the others... They saved Earth."

Kara. Amidst all this chaos, the businesswoman hadn't stopped to think about how to treat the Superhero after the battle was over. Would she still cling to what was left of her pride, or would she be willing to forgive her sins, to move forward with their friendship, as the reporter desperately desired?

"I'm looking for Alex Danvers!" a familiar voice caught her attention, rising through the crowd - that still in a shocked state, refused to leave the ship.

"Superman?" The Director quickly replied, moving fast through the mass of bodies, trying to reach the tired looking Kryptonian as soon as possible.

"Thank God you survived!" He said, wrapping her in a impromptu hug.

In another time, the woman would have pushed him off, and warned him to stay away in an annoyed tone. In another time, she struggled to believe that the alien himself would even dare to lay a finger on her, either out of fear or awkwardness. But having just returned from death itself, both weren't in the mood to deny anyone anything. So if they needed a hug, screw it, they deserved it.

"What the hell happened Clark?" She whispered, patting his back softly.

The man only then pulled away, ocean blue eyes shining with sorrow.

"You need to come with me now. You, Kelly, your friends... Everyone." He looked at Lena, and without a single trace of rejection or despise in sight, continued. "You too."

"And why exactly would I do that?" The Luthor replied, crossing her arms in a cold, menacing stance.

"Supergirl asked for you."

She scoffed.

"Let me rephrase that, why should I care about a selfish liar that only brought me pain and betrayal?"

He blinked, but didn't even flinch at the anger in her words.

"She's dying."

Next thing she knew, her arms were down, her chest was aching, and her breathing suddenly had stopped.

"WHAT?" Alex screamed in her place, wide eyes searching for a proper answer.

"All of you died when the anti-matter wave hit. And shortly after that, all Earths were gone. Kar-... Supergirl used the Book of Destiny to bring you back -to bring us, back to existence. But in return, the book demanded a life to be traded. And she willingly gave away hers."

So, that was the explanation the Luthor had been looking for since she regained her consciousness.

No. It couldn't be.

Kara couldn't be dying.

She couldn't have done something so stupid.

"Take me to my sister! Take me to my sister NOW!" Alex demanded, no longer able of keeping her emotions in check.

"Of course. All of you, follow me." He said, giving Lena a deep, hauting look, before quickly turning away.

Ignoring her urge to break down in front of the curious crowd, the CEO decided to hide behind his shadow, with a vacant stare and trembling hands.

Kara couldn't be dying.

She just couldn't.

\---

Once they arrived at the Waverider, the group were met by an unimaginable amount of grief. The presence of loss poisoned the air around them and made it hard to breathe, to think, to do anything that wasn't sulk in the depths of misery.

Despite their bright coloured clothes and downright bizarre equipment, the faces of the Superheroes present on the ship were dim, darkened, completely devoid of any excitement or happiness. They had seen too much, felt too much, to even register what was going on in the present.

Lena was shocked, as she noticed how battered and bruised they were, both emotionally and physically. She never had expected to see such a frightful scenary as this in her life.

Scattered around a bed, engulfed by the light of two enormous sunlamps, she managed to catch a glimpse of more familiar figures. Kate Kane, Sara Lance, Barry Allen... And the man that was supposed to be dead, Oliver Queen.

Alex rushed to his side in a hurry, hugging him before taking a look at her sister. The CEO watched from a distance how the director sobbed, grabbing a pale, bloodied hand in between hers, and kissing the palm softly.

Kara must have said something to them about her, because next thing Lena knew, the heroes were moving out of her way, creating a tunnel around her so she could walk straight to the blonde.

As they moved, she finally was able to properly analyze her face. And God, it was even more awful than she had expected.

It was like a freight train had ran over her body. Twenty times. Whilst burning up in flames.

Still, beneath all the dust, and red, and dirt, there was hope. And love. Her eyes held so much love.

"I'm sorry." She smiled, blood dripping out of the corner of her mouth.

Lena ran to her side, but still didn't know what to say or do. Alex was crying, Kelly was beside her trying to comfort her, the rest of the team was barely keeping it together, and honestly, so was she.

"How could you do this?" She spat out instead, tears slipping out of her eyes. "How dare you belittle your life so much? How dare you chose to die, after everything?!"

"I did it... So you could live." The Kryptonian smiled wider.

Her eyes fought to stay open, her voice wavered and her strength started to vanish. That was particularly worrying to everyone.

"I'm sorry... I wish... I should have told you the truth... But I was afraid... Of losing you... I'm sorry."

Her other hand, not caught in Alex's deathly grip, rose from the bed. Before the Kryptonian could register, it was already captured by the softest of fingers.

"I... I forgive you."

"You don't have to s-say it... If you can't do it yet."

"But I do." The billionaire reassured, in tears. "And just so we're clear, I don't hate you either. I tried, god, how much I tried!" She confessed, and felt a light squeeze of reassurance from below. "I tried to be vile, malicious, to despise you, just like Lex did with Superman!... But I couldn't. I still can't. I couldn't turn my sadness into anger. Not with you... Not with anyone..."

"And I'm proud of you for that. I really, really am... I just wish... I had more time..." Kara whispered, closing her eyes once again.

"Hey, stay with us. Please stay with us." Alex caressed her cheek, making the hero regain some of her consciousness.

"I feel like I'm... Drifting."

"Kara... Don't say that. Please."

"It's okay..." She looked back at her sister, still smiling. "I'm just... Glad you're here... I'm glad... I'm not alone."

"Kara, no..."

"I love you, Alex. You were the best sister... I could ever wish for." Her voice dropped in volume, as her energy quicky faded. "Kelly, please... Take care of her."

"I will, Kara. I promise I will." The woman squeezed the shoulders of her girlfriend tighter, whom she knew, was about to fully break down at any given minute.

"And Lee..." The blonde spun her head to face her, eyes barely open. "I want you to know... I... I..."

"Kara? Kara, what's wrong? Please, look at me."

Following her orders, those icy blue orbs gazed at her one last time.

 _"Kh ap zhao rrip_" she mumbled, before her hands unclenched Lena's fingers, and her soul got lost into nothingness.

Exhaling her last breath, the girl of steel was no more.

"KARA! NO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE US! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME! FIGHT BACK! GODDAMN! FIGHT BACK!" Alex exploded, slamming her fists in the bed, as Kelly struggled to keep her in her hold.

"I'm sorry baby... I'm so sorry." She whispered as the woman sobbed uncontrollably, dropping down to hug her sister's body, head bending forward to rest over the hero's chest.

Lena stood still, as tears fell freely down her face. She couldn't believe the scene right in front of her. Kara was dead. Supergirl was gome. Her best friend... The woman she loved... Would never speak, laugh, or look at her again.

"What did she say?" Lena asked softly, voice breaking apart in her trembling lips. "What did she say to me?"

Alex looked up, desolated.

"She... She t-told you she loved you."


	2. A new deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena isn't giving up on Kara.  
> And neither will her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys asked for a part two, so... This is it. There will be a third part soon, I promise.  
> In the meantime, enjoy!

Fifteen days, ten hours, and eleven minutes. That's exactly how much time had passed since Kara's final breath was exhaled.

Lena didn't know why she kept counting to be honest. It wasn't like she was still waiting for her to come back.

She had given up that hope the moment she had seen that cursed black coffin go down, covered in half by an United States flag, and a red, unknown one, that Alura had brought from Argo. 

Flowers had rained on top of the casket as it descended, hiding itself from the outside world in the deep, deep darkness.

After the whole ceremony was over, she realized she didn't know exactly how or what to feel. She had cried, of course she had. She wasn't heartless, after all. But her tears weren't only based on sorrow. Pain wasn't the only thing she was feeling. Neither was grief. There was something else lurking beneath it all, something stronger. Something she couldn't lock inside a box and abandon in a egregious alley of her mind.

Anger.

A deeply rooted, regret fuelled anger.

She was enraged by the fact that Kara had brought all of them back, only to die in her sister's arms, covered in blood, sweat and dirt. She was mad at the universe for not granting them more time to be together, to fight, to be friends, to do whatever. She was absolutely furious at herself for not having forgiven her sooner. And she was pissed off that, even after she was gone, the hero wasn't able to rest in peace - at least not in the way her beloved traditions demanded.

It had been a difficult agreement, to have Kara buried instead of shipped off into the sun. But, after the Crisis, and the looming return of Leviathan and Cadmus, the government couldn't risk her Kryptonian DNA being obtained or studied by the enemy. So for now, it had been decided to keep her body on Earth, until every single threat had been for sure neutralized. If that never happened, according to what she had learned from Alura, Kara's soul would never find Rao. 

Logically, Lena knew that that had been the right choice to make. But after losing her entire world, she couldn't think reasonably. She just wanted Kara's religious choices to be respected. And she felt hopeless knowing she couldn't do anything to ensure that they were.

So yes, she felt angry. She had all rights to be.

Sitting alone in her office, drinking away the best bottle of Scotch she owned, she sighed.

This was not how their story was supposed to end.

"Miss Luthor?" She barely heard Jess knock, before the door was opened and her head popped in the room. "You have visitors downstairs."

"If they're investors, send them off.-"

"-It's Director Danvers. And she came with the company of a... Interestingly dressed lady."

"That must be Alura."

"Do I tell them to come up?"

The CEO sighed again, downed the rest of her glass in a single swallow, and replied:

"Yes Jess, thank you. You should go home after you let them in. It's late."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" The girl asked, worried.

Lena smiled weakly.

"I'll be fine. I'll leave too, after I speak to them."

"Great, because with all the respect in the world, boss... You look awful. You definitely need to rest."

She frowned.

"Do I really look that bad?"

"You haven't slept in almost three days, so yes."

"How'd you...?"

"I've worked for you for the last four years, I've learned to identify when you're exhausted and overworked. That's why I took the liberty of pushing off all of your meetings to monday. Please take the weekend off."

Lena was surprised by the reply, but happy nonetheless. She really needed a break.

"Thank you, Jess." She said, and the woman gave her a caring smile in return. "Remind me to give you a raise monday."

The last phrase was met with laughter.

"Goodnight, Miss Luthor."

"Goodbye."

Lena waited till the secretary was out to fully deflate. 

Alura was coming up to meet her. Alex too. She couldn't help but wonder, what bad news would she receive this time. Was the universe in danger again? Did they need her help? If not, why were they here? She hadn't done anything particularly nefarious this past month. Perhaps someone else did, and they tried to frame her. Would she leave the office in handcuffs? 

Okay, she was being ridiculous. After everything, they wouldn't arrest her over nothing, right?

Oh god, she really needed to sleep.

And her anxiety to stop.

Hidding her face in the palm of her hands, she rested her elbows against the desk, and performed a few breathing exercises to calm herself down. 

Then, after she was collected enough, she opened one of the drawers by her left, and removed a little box of painkillers she always kept at her reach. She swallowed a few like it was candy, not bothering to look for water. 

Poorly, she braced herself for the arrival of Kara's biological mother. She had to keep calm. She needed to be calm.

When the door opened, she couldn't muster a single smile. 

Taking in the sight before her, she opted to stand up instead, circle her desk, and wrap the poor woman in a hug.

She looked absolutely destroyed.

"I apologise profoundly for the lateness of our visit, but Alex assured me you'd still be at work..."

"There's no need for apologies." Lena said, backing off. "And goodnight to the both of you, I'm sorry I didn't greet you right away..."

"It's okay. We're all a bit distraught lately." Alex replied, as the CEO gestured them to take a seat. 

Returning to her high chair, the businesswoman crossed her arms, and waited in silence for an explanation.

"As you must have figured out already, we're here because we need your help with something." The DEO Director begun, before opening up the handbag she had brought along, and tossing an old and dusty leather book on top of Lena's desk. "After a good while searching, we found it."

The spark of curiosity in the Luthor's eyes was just as powerful as the dread filling her stomach.

"Is that...?"

"The book of destiny, yes."

After Kara's sacrifice, the artifact had disappeared from existence. No explanation as to why, it just had.

"Turns out the monitor had it. He needed it to fix some anachronisms in our timeline." Alex revealed.

"That bloody bastard..." Lena whispered, before her eyes shot up to reach Alura's. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. I hate him as much as you do. He took my inah away from me. My sweet daughter." She said, voice trembling with emotion. "But we'll bring her back. I know we will. And you will help us."

"Me?" Her green yes widened in surprise.

"Yes. There was no one, at exception of her new family of course, that my daughter trusted more than you. " Alura stated, not understanding the real impact of her words.

"We need your help, Lena. We mean it. We know the answer to Kara's return is in this book, and we know that you can help us figure it out." Alex continued. 

"I... I'm not sure..." Oh no, her anxiety was clutching her heart again. This wasn't good."

"Are you alright?" The auburn haired asked, before the CEO shot up unceremoniously from her seat. 

"I- I need a break. I'll be back soon." She said, almost sprinting out the balcony door.

Air, she needed air. And she needed to stop overthinking.

Her hands gripped the railing beneath them tightly. Her forehead, covered in sweat, was pounding with an approaching headache. Her lungs felt too small. She couldn't breathe.

She was about to pass out when a steady, familiar voice caught her attention.

"Hey, stay with me... Open your eyes." It was Alex. Somehow, her presence made it worse.

She couldn't let her see her like this.

"Lena, I'm here, I'm not going to judge you, please breathe with me." The Director said, laying a hand on her back, and making small calming circles with it. 

"I c-can't."

"Yes you can, come on. Follow my chest. In and out. That's it... In and out again."

After a while, her tactics had worked. The businesswoman was back to normal, at least as near to it as she could be after going through that whole ordeal.

"Thank you..." She whispered, wiping away her tears. "I'm..."

"If you say you're sorry, I'm gonna slap your arm so hard you'll have a permanent hand tattoo from me."

Lena laughed, then shook her head.  
Alex smiled back for a while, but soon enough, her features were dominated by worry.

"In all seriousness, are you okay?... What was this about?" 

The CEO closed her eyes, as her posture crumbled down.

"Let's just say that, ever since the Crisis, my mental health has not been great." She started with a shaking voice. "I can't sleep, so I work. I can't think, because I start to panic. And I see her. Everywhere. Constantly." Alex nodded. 

"I get what you mean." She replied, eyes observing the city before her. "I can't forget what happened that day either. Kelly, she's been great, has helped me a lot, but... It's too much." Biting her lower lip, she moved closer to Lena, leaning against the balcony railing. 

They remained in understanding silence for a few minutes, just looking at the bright, warm lights of the imponent landscape. They didn't really need to talk that much. Both women comprehended perfectly well the crushing weight of the grief they had to carry.

"Do you and Alura really think I can bring her back?" Lena asked suddenly, forcing herself to look at Alex.

"We're not expecting you to, if that's what you're asking. But we know for a fact that, if someone can do it, then that someone is you." 

Nodding her head slowly, the younger Luthor straightened her back.   
  
"Thank you, Alex. That's exactly what I needed to hear."

The red head smiled at her newly found determination. Lena then took a deep breath of courage, and walked back inside.

She was going to figure that god-damned book out.

And then she was going to tell Kara she loved her back.

\----

Another week of mourning had passed. But this time around, she had pushed the moping aspect of it away.

Lena was determined to resurrect the fallen superhero. She had spent hours upon hours upon hours reading, analysing, and finding exploitable narrative holes in the text. 

She was surprised though, that the answer to her wondering hadn't come while she was dissecting the book, but while she was in her kitchen, making coffee.

She dropped her spoon when the wave of inspiration hit her, speckles of sugar bouncing over the white laminate floor.

She ran back to her lab, not caring to clean her disaster first. Grabbing the book on a hurry, she flipped the pages until she landed on the one that determined Kara's destiny.

"For collateral damage in a crisis to be resolved, for destroyed galaxies to return whole, a sacrifice must be made. A life for a thousand lives, that's the only way." The original text read.

It didn't give the specifics about which kind of life had to be sacrificed. It didn't demand the death of a paragon. It didn't ask for the death to be of importance. It also didn't say if the life had to be of organic nature or not. 

"Is it really that simple?" She laughed, running a hand through her hair. 

She knew right away what she had to do.

Picking up her phone, she called Alex.

"I need a favour."

\---

  
Lena would never admit it out loud, but she was scared shitless of the lower floors of the DEO. 

The poor lighting, the lead walls, the beeping lights of the security cameras... It reminded her a little bit too much of one of her brother's old labs. 

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Alex asked, leading the way through the ridiculously narrow corridor.

"No, but it's the only good idea I've had so far. I have to try it." She said, clutching the book harder against her chest. "Besides, I've got a copy of her operational system in my computer. The last saving point was from before I decided to 'go Lex' on Kara, so... She's still good."

The Director stopped in her tracks when they reached one of the final doors in the hallway. Leaning her hand against a glass square to her left, she patiently waited for the cell to open.

"I know I should have handled the rest of her files to the DEO, but..."

"Lena, it's alright. As long as you don't decide to use her to take over the world again, I trust you with keeping her." She admitted as the door slid away with a quick hiss. "My real question is, will Eve die if this works?"

"No, I don't think so. But she will have control over her body again." 

Alex walked in the cell, but not before whispering under her breath:

"This will be fun."

Sitting on the corner of the room, staring at nothing in particular, was a blonde woman, fully dressed in white, with no recognizable facial expressions or emotions of any kind.

"Hello, Hope." Lena greeted her, as her head moved upwards to see her. 

"Hello, Miss Luthor. Has my purpose been fulfilled?"

Both visitors flinched.

"Yes Hope, your time in here's over. You'll be free soon enough." The Luthor said carefully, approaching the AI. "But there's a couple of things I need to say and ask you first."

"Of course. Whatever you need, I'm at your complete disposition."

Lena breathed in, not sure how to continue. She looked back at Alex for help, and thankfully, the Director intervened.

"Hope, you're inhabiting the body of a USA prisioner, which means that we can't let you go, at least while you wear this... Physical form. To leave this place, you will have to give it up." 

"Oh..."

"I have you backed up at my computer Hope, you won't be destroyed, you'll just... Forget, the time you spent here. You'll be fine."

"I understand."

"Ok..." Lena breathed, still tense from the conversation. "There's also another reason we need you to give up your physical body. You see, this right here, it's the book of destiny."

"Pardon me, I... Don't recognize it."

"It's an magical artefact. A very powerful one, in fact. I don't know if you were able to notice it, but recently, our entire universe was destroyed by a wave of anti-matter. Suddenly, all of us... Were killed, with no chance of fighting back." The Luthor explained, flipping through the pages. "We all would be doomed, if it wasn't for Supergirl. She used the book to trade her life for ours. She rewrote our history whilst ending her own."

Hope stared at her sad face in an utter state of confusion, before replying:

"Shouldn't you be happy, Miss Luthor? Kara Danvers was your enemy-"

"I always told you, I didn't want her to die. Not like this. Not in any way." She stopped the AI in her tracks, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Pardon me, Miss Luthor. I did not intend to cause you pain."

"It's fine, Hope." She answered. "But anyway, as I was saying. I need you to do us a favour."

"Anything."

"I need you to willingly give your life away to the book, so Supergirl can come back to life."

"We need you two to trade places." Alex added.

"As I said, I have you backed up in my computer, which means you'll still be alive. You'll only... forget this."

Hope then lowered her eyes, as she seemed to analyze what was being asked of her. Then, she looked back up, and raising herself from the floor into a standing position, she agreed.

"I will do as you command, Miss Luthor. What is exactly needed of me?"

Lena smiled guilty, and gave the AI the book.

"Kara signed her name, under the last paragraph of this page. I need you to scratch it, and write yours beside it."

"That's all?" The blonde asked.

"That's all."

Alex then gave Hope a pen, before smiling a silent thank you, and backing off.

"Once you're gone, I'll move your system into a robotic body. You'll be able to walk around the universe freely, and I'll never demand anything else from you. You'll be your own person."

Hope looked and Lena straight in the eyes, before smiling.

"Thank you, Miss Luthor. I hope Kara Danvers apologizes for her improper behavior."

Her creator blushed, and replied:

"She did."

Satisfied with the answer, the AI nodded one more time, and brought the pen to the paper.

When the last letter was written, a flash of white covered the world.

And suddenly, everything fell back into it's rightful place.


	3. Remember me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's back... But not quite fully.

It was only when Lena first opened her eyes, that she realized what the blast had done. Both her and Alex had fallen down, headfirst, into the floor. And if she hadn't felt anything when it happened, she sure as hell was feeling it now.

"Argh..." she complained, rubbing her head with the palm of her hand, as she slowly started to stand up. Her senses seemed to be a little shaken off. Her sight was blurry, any smell was dulled, and even the noises around her seemed delayed.

As she pondered why everything felt so out of place, she heard another grunt of pain coming from her left.  
Still dizzy, she searched for the Director.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine... Although I feel like I was hit by a baseball. Is everything spinning for you too?" She grimaced, getting herself into a sitting position.

Lena didn't have time to laugh at her ashy, soggy, clearly bad mood. Or to reply with some funny, slightly dark joke about being knock up to many times, and already being used to concussions. Because when eyes went up, to look for Eve's body, they weren't at all expecting to find another one, passed out right next to it.

"Oh God, Kara!" She knelt by her side, holding her cheekbones gently.

"Did it work? Is she alive?" Alex asked, dragging herself towards them. She then pressed one of her fingers into Eve's neck.

In the meantime, Lena curved her body down, and leaned her ear against Kara's chest.

"Bloody hell, Alex! ALEX HER HEART IS BEATING!" the CEO exclaimed, as tears of happiness and relief fell down her face. "SHE'S ALIVE, WE BROUGHT HER BACK!"

At this, the Director cried too, smiling wildly. 

"See? I told you, you could do it." Then she reached for her earpiece, and in a lower, more serious tone, said: "Guys, I need two gurneys at cell #666. It's urgent."

"Come on, Kara... Please come back to us." Lena whispered, still holding her face.

As if on cue, her eyes cracked open. The businesswoman held her breath, shocked to be staring at those icy orbs, filled with serenity and affection again.

After a while of just gazing, mindlessly, at the woman she once had called her best friend, the hero finally seemed to wake up from her transe. Her pupils adjusted themselves to the light of the room, and then started to search for something, anything, that could explain to her where in the hell she was.

"It's okay, you're fine. We're fine." Lenw muttered, caressing her temples -after finding out how calming that could be from the blonde herself-. "We're at the DEO. You're safe, I promise."

"Kara?" Alex moved Eve's body to the side, so she could get closer to her sister. "Kara, I know you must be very confused right now. But we're here with you okay, that's what matters. We'll explain everything when we're upstairs, alright?"

The Kryptonian frowned for a little bit, as she struggled to comprehend the information. Still, she gave a shy nod in reply.

A couple of minutes passed, and a group of agents raided the cell. After assuring Kara that these were good people, and that she wasn't going to be hurt, Alex helped them move her to the Medbay. It didn't take a lot of time to convince her sister to let her run some tests, she seemed to be way too passive since she had awoken. She hadn't spoken a word, and like a lost puppy, just stared at them in confusion. 

Physically, as the tests had proven, she was fine. But her mysterious gaze and her unwavering silence told them the contrary. 

"Are you sure isn't just... Shell-Shocked? I mean, the last thing she did before dying was fighting in the Crisis... That would for sure leave some kind of emotional scar." Lena tried to be reasonable, to no avail.

"When Kara is traumatized, in the beginning, she isn't like this. She either cries the Hudson River, or leans too much into her internalized rage. Her mind isn't vacant. She doesn't like to think. She just... Feels. It's only later when she pushes everything down." Alex explained, crossing her arms.

"So what do we do? She seems to recognize us, because she hasn't ran away from us yet... But she isn't speaking to us either."

"Well, from the medical standpoint, we did everything we could to check if she was okay, and she is, her brain is fine. But as her family... I don't know."

Immediately, a small disagreement was heard at the doors of the Medbay. Alex made use of her power-walk and moved closer to her agents.

"Let her in, your dimwits. She's Kara's mother." The auburn haired pushed the men aside, making room for the Kryptonian matriarch. 

" _Jeju_!" For the first time in hours the blonde spoke, jumping out of the bed, almost unaware of the IV attached to her arm. " _Rrip nahn zhehiodia! Ta? Rraos nahn khap rriv otem? Rrov nahn voiehd tahn?"_

" _Te ukiem, urvish fah_." Alura said, before wrapping the hero with her arms.

Alex and Lena exhanged looks, equally confused.

"I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure is that a very tender moment, but can you please explain to us what the hell just happened?"

Alura parted the hug, sighed, and started playing with her daughter's hair.

"She doesn't know where she is. She's confused as to why am I alive. If I have to guess, she lost her memory."

" _Ta-nahn zhed_?"

At this particular question, the judicator's face completely fell down.

"She is asking who you are."

Unable to handle the situation, anymore, Lena ran away. She had figured the book out. She brought her back. And now ... She didn't remember her? What kind of sick joke was the universe playing?

\----

A while later, after receiving Alex's desperate train of text messages, she returned. Alura had given Kara an automatic translator, a small device in the form of an ear piece that allowed the user to understand any foreign language it desired. The device also masked the original voice of the user, modifying it to the language of choice. This meant that now Kara could understand, and talk to them in English, which in itself, was an improvement.

"So... I died?"

"Yes, you did." Alex replied, sitting down next to her bed. "But we brought you back, with the help of... Lena." She gestured to the CEO, who was leaning against the doorframe with both arms crossed.

"Oh..." The blonde took the information in, and for some reason, blushed. "Thank you both, I guess... For saving me... For caring." She said, then frowned. "I'm truly sorry I can't remember who you are though."

"It's okay, at least you're back. And we'll do everything in our power to help you remember." Alex assured, standing up and kissing her forehead gently. "You're gonna be fine."

Kara didn't seemed at all uncomfortable by the little display of affection, in fact, she seemed almost happy with it.

"If you truly are my sister like my mom told me, then Rao really made me lucky." She smiled towards Alex, who did the same thing in return. "I like you a lot already."

"I was kinda hoping you did." The Director laughed sadly, before looking at Lena. "I need to go check out how the DEO's holding up, and as you know, Alura returned to Argo shortly to make sure everything is running smoothly there too. Can you take care of this one while I'm gone?"

The businesswoman straightened her posture.

"If she's not opposed to me being here..."

"No, not at all!" The Kryptonian replied with way too much enthusiasm, before coughing and pretending to chill. "I mean, I don't really want to be alone, since I don't really know where I am, or who most of the people that I have met so far are... It would be nice to have your company."

"See! All solved!" Alex shrugged, before walking away from the bed. "If you need anything Luthor, please call me."

"Sure thing, Danvers." Lena replied, taking her place at Kara's side.

Once the Director was gone, both women exchanged looks of curiosity, neither daring to speak up right away.

When the beeping of the machines became way too loud, the blonde cleared her throat, and scratched her head.

"So... Alex told me you were - are-, my best friend." She smiled awkwardly, as the CEO's stoic expression slowly fell. "What was our friendship like?"

Lena looked down, almost guiltily, whilst collecting her thoughts. How was she supposed to tell her everything that had happened in those four years, without overwhelming her even more? 

She was disoriented enough as it was; she couldn't possibly unload all of her issues at once. This was a delicate situation. She had to be careful.

"Growing up, I didn't have a lot of friends. My family name here on Earth... It's cursed. People despise it - not without reason, though... Most Luthors are evil." She began, playing with the sleeves of her shirt. "For a long time, I convinced myself I was just like them. Bad. Deviant. Cold. but you made me see I wasn't. When we met, you didn't throw me to the side, you didn't mix me with the rest of them. You didn't treat me like everyone else did. You were different. You saw something in me, something worth befriending... And to be honest, I never understood how, or why. But you were kind, and lovely, and funny..." She let out a watery laugh. "You took me out on dates. Passed by my office to see if I had eaten something. You called me every night to make sure I got home safe. Texted me every morning to make sure I slept well. You cared, so much. So of course I became your best friend. How could I not? You charmed me right from the beginning. And you never stopped..." She drifted off, gently. "So yeah, to answer your question; our friendship was pretty amazing."

When her eyes finally snapped up, she was surprised to see small tears falling out from Kara's eyes.

"Lena, I'm so, so sorry that people treated you the way they did. As you must have guessed, I don't remember a single thing about your family, but by hearing you talk, and by seeing the way you reacted today when I woke up... I know you are a good person. And if they are as evil as you say, you're absolutely not like them."

"Thank you, but why are you saying that? You don't have to. You don't... you don't even recognize me."

"I know. But even though I can't explain it, something deep in my mind tells me you are a good person... And from the look on your face, I can see that you really needed to hear that." She gave her a cornered smile, full of warmth and kindness. 

"Honestly... you're right. I did." Lena confessed, moving closer. "Thank you."

Kara's smile grew, and she cut the silence with a typical, light-hearted reply:

"Oh, it's nothing!" She then followed the statement with a good humored laugh and a dismissive gesture of her hand. "Again, I'm just glad I could help."

"Of course you do." The CEO said softly, happy to realize that Kara's joyful spirit was still intact, even after everything they had gone through. "You've always helped me when I needed it the most. Even now, you somehow still know what to say to cheer me up... I honestly don't know how you do it."

"Super-empathy. It must be another one of my superpowers. Alex did say I have a lot of those."

"You really do. I wouldn't be surprised if you actually had that as a superpower. That and a black hole as a stomach." 

"Now that you mention it, I am a little hungry..." She laughed, as Lena immediately shook her head. "Okay, but now that the sappy feelings are dealt with..." The CEO gave her an unimpressed look, before she continued. "I want to know more about you. Tell me what are your favorite things, what do you like to do, how's life on Earth like..."

"You're do realize you're not going to understand most things I'll talk to you about, right?"

"You don't know that... Maybe I will? Maybe talking things out can help me remember." She said, then patted a spot next to her on the bed. "Come here."

Lena frowned, but did as she was told.

"Don't get me wrong, but... how are you so comfortable with physical contact? You technically don't know who I am... Who all of us are. Yet you haven't declined any hug, kiss, or touch... Why?"

Kara's mood seemed to sober up, as her face got slightly more serious and solemn.

"Look... Something, deep inside my chest, tells me I'm safe with you and Alex. I don't know what it is, honestly. I know, I can't remember both of you, or our history together, and this probably sounds crazy coming from a mentally compromised woman..." She joked, pausing for a breath. "But I... I trust you. Again, I don't know why, I just do. That's why I'm not scared of you guys touching or hugging me.That's just how I feel. Safe. I can't help it."

Taking those words in, the Luthor nodded in silent intrigue. She then locked her fingers with Kara's, and exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You don't realize how much it means to me... Hearing that you trust me. Even if you don't know at all who I am." 

"Oh well...I'm happy that I made you happy. And see? I must have super empathy! It's a great superpower!" 

Lena giggled, and calmly wiped away the tears forming beneath her eyes.

"There's one other thing about this mess still has me confused." She then said.

"...Shoot."

"How are you so... Peaceful? I'd be having a bloody panic attack trying to figure out a thousand different ways to escape this place if I was in your position."

Well, that really was an interesting question. In response, Kara shrugged, and let her jaw drop, trying to formulate a good enough answer to her inquiry.

"Well... finding out that mom is alive helped me a lot not to freak out." She pointed. "Also, this little device that she gave me to understand what all of you are saying, it was truly miraculous. English is a really strange language, I have to say. Thank Rao for this translator in my ear, because I couldn't understand a single word that came out of your mouth." She half-joked, and kept going. "And finally, the main reason I'm still here, is because Alex promised to take me to the best restaurant in this planet, and I just can't deny the offering food."

"Of course." Lena played along, pushing the hero on the shoulder.

"But seriously..." Kara asked for her attention. "I'm calm because really, I do trust you. I know that none of you will hurt me. I feel safe."

The Billionaire smiled.

"Good."

  
After that initial conversation, they kept talking about themselves for hours. No memory popped up, but no disagreement did either, so, at least, they were at a truce.

Neither of them could say how, nor when it happened, but as the clock moved foward, they ended up falling asleep in each other's arms, tied to each other tightly.

When Alex came back, carrying a backpack of her sister's casual clothes and a bag full of Chinese takeout, she couldn't help but smile.

In all possible angles, the scenario they were in was terrible. But at least, she thought, those two idiots had each other.

Leaving everything on top of a table, she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.

This definitely was a milestone worth documenting.

\---

A handful of weeks passed by, and slowly, Kara started to remember a few things. Like her terrible school experiences in Midvale. Or her favorite flavour of ice cream. Or the fact that she just couldn't enjoy a salad, no matter how many times Lena tried to make her eat it.

Having returned to her cozy, small apartment had helped that progress a lot too, she was sure of it. Kars realized that feeling "at home" made her get in touch with herself and her past more easily, which was a breakthrough in her recovery, or so she thought.

She also had regained her powers, which in the beginning, had proven to be quite a challenge. They were so hard to control, so damn difficult to keep in check. If it wasn't for her fear of hurting someone, she might have lashed out, out of pure frustration.

Besides the danger they provided, they also caused her to feel completely overwhelmed. Specially her X-Ray vision and her superhearing. Rao, those abilities were annoying.

"These glasses should help you. They're lead lined." Alex explained, handling her the frames. "Just put them on, you'll see how you'll feel better."

And oh, they did. A lot, actually.

"Wait, so her glasses in fact do something? I thought she wore them only to hide her Identity." Lena whispered into the Director's ear.

"Kara has had sensory processing problems all of her life, the glasses help her dull some of them out." She explained briefly, watching her sister examine herself in the mirror.

Then, she turned around. 

"Do I look good?"

"Fantastic."

"Great." 

Both women replied at the same time.

The Kryptonian just shrugged and looked at herself in the mirror again, happy to not feel as... "Attacked" by her surroundings as she did a few seconds ago.

Still, as she observed herself, her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Something about her appearance didn't feel right. It wasn't the design of the glasses, it wasn't the way they sat on her face. It was something else. Her reflection felt so familiar, but at the same time, so, so off. 

Despite the help that these frames were providing, she felt like she shouldn't be wearing them, for some reason. 

It made her feel... Like she was lying?

Lying.

Rao.

She had lied.

To Lena.

To the world.

To herself.

"Argh!" She exclaimed, grabbing her head and sliding into the floor.

The translator her mother had given her fell, along with her body. It shattered into a thousand different pieces, but right then, It didn't matter. She didn't need it to understand the aftermath of what had happened anymore.

"KARA!" She heard footsteps approaching. "Are you okay?"

Oh no.   
She wasn't okay.  
She was very, VERY far from okay.

A thousand images ran through her mind at the same time, giving her no time to think, rationalize, or slow down anything she was seeing. It was like someone had just opened a RAR file in her brain, and now data was being dropped and opened everywhere, simultaneously.

"I remember. I remember what I did." She whispered, in a almost catatonic state. "Lena, I...I... I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry! I should have never lied to you! What did you do with Myriad? Please tell me you didn't do something bad? Please?!..."

"Kara..." The CEO knelt down beside her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't do anything; you stopped me, remember?"

Apparently, she didn't.

"I was a horrible, terrible, really dumb and bad friend to you, I really don't deserve you, I'm sorry!" 

"Kara, Kara! It's okay!... I've forgiven you. It's in the past. It's over." 

"No... How could... I don't deserve it." Her voice started to fail, as did her own breathing, and she felt as if she was drowning in her tears. 

"Hey, c'mon. You're fine. You're forgiven. It's been months." Alex tried to calm her down too, and asked her to focus on repeating her breathing.

It wasn't working.

"Oh Rao, what did I do?" She hid her face behind her hands and continued to sob uncontrollably. "You died. I let all of you die. I let you..."

Lena couldn't think of anything to say. She was shocked by how quick the Kryptonian had fallen apart, and above it all, why she had fallen apart.

Instead of speaking, she brought her closer to her chest, and wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm so, so, so sorry." She kept mumbling, over and over again, as she clutched at the CEO's shirt for dear life.

The rest of the evening after that breakdown had gone by in a blur. Lena and Alex had decided to stay over, so they could keep an eye over the emotionally distraught Girl of Steel.

When the night time arrived, they decided to sleep with her in her bed. She still wasn't feeling great, and with guilt consuming her every thought, the duo realized it was better for her to not be alone. At least for the time being.

Lena never thought, in all of these years of knowing her, that she'd someday hear Supergirl screaming her lungs out for help.

But after watching her wake up, nightmare after nightmare, with the same guttural sound of pure terror, she was kinda hoping she'd never had to hear such screams again.

"THEY'RE GONE. THEY'RE ALL GONE. I COULDN'T SAVE THEM. THEY GONE." She repeated, shaking like a leaf, as both her best friend and her sister tried to get her to calm down again.

"We're here. You saved us. We're fine. No one is dead. You saved all of us."

But it didn't work. She kept crying her eyes out, body collected into a ball, as she rocked back and foward in her misery.

"She needs her medication. She's out of it." Alex said, as Lena gently played with her honeyed locks of hair. "Stay here with her, I'll be right back."

Turns out, the superhero wasn't as strong as everyone would want to believe. According to her sister, she'd had so many panic attacks these last years, that the DEO had to actually create a medication to treat them.

Thinking back, it made perfect sense. Kara Danvers not only had a severe Anxiety Disorder, she also had PTSD. And, was claustrophobic as well. (This new information made Lena feel extremely bad for having locked her up in the Fortress of Solitude a while back, when they still were in fighting territory. She promised Alex to never restrain or contain her again -and asked to be shot down if she ever did-.)

Once the blonde had taken her pills, and was safely resting on her bed, both Alex and Lena walked away to the kitchen. Cups of tea in hand, they started to talk. Nevermind it was almost four A.M.

"After she started regaining her memory, I knew that at some point this would happen, but I was kinda wishing you weren't here to witness it."

"Why not?" Lena asked, as the Director aimlessly moved her teabag around, staring down into the steaming liquid.

"Kara... She wants everyone to think she is this invincible, always hopeful, always sunny being... She doesn't like people to see her like this. And I know, she never wanted you to see her like this." The older Danvers breathed in, still avoiding eye contact. "I know you aren't going to judge her, but... I also know my sister. After break downs like this, she usually puts on a pretty smile, and pretends to be fine. It's kinda like a "fake it till you make it" coping mechanism of hers."

"Now that's healthy." Lena commented with sarcasm.

"Yeah, I know it's bad... But it's what she does, most of the time. Ignore, pretend, recover." She pointed out, taking the cup to her lips, then drinking. "What scares me about you being here, is that now, she won't pretend. She won't try to hide her feelings. She won't lie to you again. So I don't know how she'll cope. I hope it's in a positive way... But I'm not sure. She might as well just... Leave."

"It's either fight or flight."

"Exactly." She looked up, nervous. "I'm afraid. I don't want her keep suffering like she currently is. But I also don't her to... run away. Or to try and talk when she's not ready to. I don't know. I'm just... Terrified."

And it was visible in her voice, Lena thought. The Director was tense, on edge. It frightened her.

"... I can't say for certain how the future's going to look like for her, Alex. I'm terrified too. She went through a lot of trauma, and she just remembered a really, really bad time for the both of us, so of course she's going to be devastated. I hope she'll be able to forgive me, and forgive herself. But even if she can't... There's one thing I'm certain of. We need to be there for her. Even if she cries, screams, leaves... We need to be there."

"Yeah..." Alex nodded with a sigh. "This is going to be hard."

And during the first couple of weeks, it was. Kara's mood fluctuated all the time from sad, to apologetic, to simply devastated.

She couldn't be left alone, or her panic attacks and paranoia would smack her to the ground. 

She couldn't sleep in the dark, with the door and curtains closed.

She couldn't even look at her old suit anymore, it brought her a despair so deep she wasn't even able to describe.

  
All she could do was cry until she felt numb, and her eyes were so red they might as well bleed.

And through it all, her sister, her best friend and both of her mothers, never left her side. 

Alura's return from Argo coincidentally happened the same day Eliza came to visit from Midvale. Holding these two incredibly strong women in her arms made Kara feel more at ease. 

From then on, with the support of all of her family and friends, she gradually begun to get better. Even if it was at a tortoirse's pace.

\---

As the pages on the calendar flew, she knew she was improving, but she also knew her own crisis was far from over. Nightmares, flashbacks, loopy memories of her battles... They followed her at all times.

Sometimes certain smells or sounds would do the trick. She could be laughing at a joke Alex had done over some stupid argument they were having, someone would accidentally drop a glass, and suddenly she was back in the war against the Anti-Monitor, hearing the windows of giant buildings break as they collapsed, rubble swallowing any living being into their inevitable deaths. Or she could be speaking with Lena as she sorted out her LCorp files; the CEO would cut a finger with a sharp edge of a paper, staining it red, and automatically she would return to the moment of Oliver's death, as he struggled to breath, blood dropping out of the corners of his mouth.

She had spoken to Kelly about these regressions in one of their most recent sessions, and the woman ended up not only doubling her medication, but enrolling her in a support group therapy. 

Not as Kara Danvers, but as Supergirl. 

They both agreed that she needed to speak out about her problems, and not masquerade them as smaller ones just for the sake of her identity.

Superheroes were also allowed to feel, and Kelly pointed out that, by wearing the cape and admitting weaknesses, she would be inspiring her other colleagues to open up. After all, if a super could have issues and search for help, all of them should too.

\---

Looking at the suit again after all of that time was a challenge. Luckily for her, brainy had fixed and upgraded it so it didn't look exactly the same as her previous one, but still... It was hard.

Thankfully, Lena was there by her side as she got dressed, and after the transformation was done, she didn't hesitate for a second before wrapping her torso in a hug, resting her head against her chest. Somehow, Kara realized, her presence made her family's crest feel lighter.

"You can do this, Supergirl." The Luthor whispered, before looking up and kissing her cheek.

\---

Most of the attendees the blonde met when she arrived at group were military veterans and retired firemen, which brought her some relief. They could understand the stress of fighting armed men, heavily machinery, and even interplanetary, extremely dangerous beasts. She felt like she could relate a lot to their own issues and situations.

As the hours went by, she learned that in her group there also were a few victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and life-threatening accidents.

Talking to them made her realize that she couldn't always save everyone, even if she'd try. 

"Sometimes, bad things happen to us, and we can't stop them. No matter how strong or courageous we are." She swore the therapist was speaking directly to her, before the woman sharply looked away. "It's how we deal with the aftermath of these situations, what really makes a difference in the outcome. To put it simply, we can run from our traumas and never really get away from them, or, we can face them, deconstruct them, and learn how to heal them. Don't fool yourselves, the scars will always be there. But the pain will slowly fade."

\--

After the reunion was over, and everyone said their goodbyes, Kara walked out the door and into the corridor. There, she was surprised to see, was Lena, patiently waiting for her to return.

If she wasn't so focused on checking her emails, face almost buried in her cellphone, she would have seen the exact moment Kara's face morphed into a huge, tearful smile.

"You stayed." Her voice brought her back from her transe.

"Of course, I'd told you I would." She replied, smiling back as she stood up from the wooden bench. "Ready to go home?"

The super walked up to her, carefully breaking into her personal space. Lena didn't mind the closeness, in fact, after everything they'd gone through, she definitely appreciated it. Being able to stare into those vibrant blue eyes again, after watching them close down for good... It was the purest relief. Besides, she wasn't going to pretend that the blonde's sweet, sunny scent didn't cause her knees to weaken whenever she got close. Or that the thing she'd wanted the most since she'd woken up was to grab her by her golden locks of hair and kiss her like there wasn't a tomorrow.

"You alright?" She asked in a whisper, soaking up the aura of the hero. 

"... Do y-you know what just happened when I saw you s-sitting here, waiting for me?" The Kryptonian replied, raising both of her hands to cup Lena's cheeks. 

"No, I don't... Kara..." She felt the woman get even closer, somehow. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She then saw her move her head up and down, smile growing exponentially. Drops of salty water slid through her cheeks, falling down onto her suit. Something in the way she stared had changed too. In her eyes there was a spark of happiness, of hope, she hadn't seen in a while. And by the way her thumbs caressed her face, there was love too.

"I just remembered."

"What?" The businesswoman asked, fishing for an specific reason.

Soon she realized, there wasn't one. 

Then, it was time for _her own_ tears to drop by and say hello.

"Wait... You _remembered_ remembered? No more empty spots? You remembered everything?" 

Kara didn't answer immediately, she just kept nodding. In a way, it was better. She had too many things to say, and she was feeling too many things at once. She didn't want to risk opening up her mouth and say something completely overwhelming.

Instead, she opted to say something she'd already said before, but that she needed to repeat again, just for good measure.

"I love you, Lena Luthor. And if these past months have taught me anything, it's that you're the greatest, kindest, smartest soul in the entire multiverse, and that I'll never, ever, stop loving you. I'm so, so sorry for lying to you, and for making you and Alex watch me die in such a horrible way, but I had no other choice. I had to bring you back. I couldn't give up on you."

Lena then grabbed her hands, still on her cheeks, and gently kissed both of them.

"You don't have to apologise for anything anymore. You're forgiven. I mean it." She then leaned forward, noses touching with the hero, and said- "For the record, I love you too."

At those words, Kara genuinely laughed, joy echoing all over her body. And before Lena could properly react, she was being swept off her feet by two strong arms, held bridal-style publicly by the Girl of Steel. She giggled at her antics, but suddenly was cut short by the hungry touch of her lips.

Their kiss was all that she wanted and more. It was messy, but gentle. Greedy, but kind. And by far, registered as one of the best she'd had in her entire life. 

Both of them didn't hold back, there was nothing to lose by indulging in it. Their tongues danced, swiveling around, exploring each and every spot that they could touch deliciously.

Breathing suddenly became unnecessary, Lena agreed. She was more than happy to do this, without a break, forever.

"Wow..." Was all that Kara could say, as her cheeks blushed a crimson red.

"Wow indeed." The CEO replied, coming to rest against her neck. "Take me home, Supergirl."

The blonde laughed.

"As you wish, Miss Luthor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end?.......  
> Thank you all for the kind words, I really appreciate them! And the fact that you guys actually read and enjoy this story? It blows my mind <3


End file.
